Japan Downgrades Tsunami Alert After 7.7 Quake Off Northern Coast

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Japan’s northern coast on Monday, prompting a tsunami alert and a later downgrade to a tsunami advisory, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and multiple outlets.

Al Jazeera said the quake hit on Monday at 4:53pm (07:53 GMT) in waters off Iwate prefecture on the Pacific coast, and that authorities issued a tsunami alert for waves up to 3 metres (10ft) high.

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Al Jazeera added that two hours after the tremor, tsunami waves as high as 80cm (2ft, 7 inches) had been detected, and the warning was later downgraded to a tsunami advisory.

AP reported that the Cabinet Office and the JMA said there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches, and that the advisory was not a quake prediction.

AP also said the quake occurred off the coast of Sanriku at around 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT) Monday, at a depth of about 19 kilometers (11 miles), and that a tsunami of about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) was detected at the Kuji port in Iwate prefecture within an hour of the quake.

CBS News similarly said a tsunami wave of about 2.6 feet was detected at the Kuji port within one hour, and a smaller tsunami wave of 1.3 feet was recorded at another port in the prefecture.

NBC News reported that the earthquake measured at a magnitude of 7.7 by the JMA prompted a tsunami warning, with waves of up to 2½ feet reported, and that the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the tsunami threat “has now passed.”

Alongside the tsunami response, Japan issued guidance about a slightly increased risk of a mega-quake for coastal areas in the days after the 7.7 quake.

AP said the Cabinet Office and the JMA advised of a slightly higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there, stating there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches.

ABC News

AP also said officials urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives, and it quoted Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urging residents to confirm their designated shelters and evacuation routes and to check emergency food and grab bags so they can run immediately when the next big one hits.

The Guardian described the same 1% versus 0.1% framing and said the advisory was for the next few days, while noting that the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said only one person in Aomori, north of Iwate, was injured after falling due to Monday’s quake.

BBC likewise said officials warned of an increased risk of a “huge” earthquake in the next week after the 7.7 quake, and that later the agency warned the risk of a quake measuring 8.0 or higher was now “relatively higher than during normal times”.

NBC News reported that Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued an advisory for a slightly increased risk of a “potential mega-quake” for the country’s north in the coming days, again citing the 1% chance compared to 0.1% during normal times.

Al Jazeera said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters that the government had set up a crisis management team and was working to assess the impact of the earthquake, and it quoted her urging people in areas for which warnings had been issued to evacuate to higher, safer places.

In the same period, CBS News said the government had established an emergency task force and that television screens flashed warnings for people in Iwate, Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures to evacuate.

Japan’s response included evacuation instructions, shelter checks, and disruptions to transport as officials monitored tsunami measurements and quake impacts.

“Japan has lifted a tsunami warning that it had issued after a magnitude 7”

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera said the JMA told people, “Evacuate immediately from coastal regions and riverside areas to a safer place such as high ground or an evacuation building,” and it added that “Tsunami waves are expected to hit repeatedly. Do not leave safe ground until the warning is lifted.”

AP reported that the advisory urged residents to raise preparedness while continuing daily lives, and it said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents in the affected area to confirm their designated shelters and evacuation routes and to check emergency food and grab bags so they can run immediately when the next big one hits, adding, “The government will do our utmost in case of an emergency,” she said.

BBC said thousands of people were told to leave coastal areas for higher ground after the quake in waters off Iwate prefecture, and it described the warning as the second-highest of three levels of alert, with people being told to evacuate immediately from coastal regions and riverside areas and move to higher ground or an evacuation building.

NBC News reported that residents of the affected region were urged to stay away from coastal areas, while tens of thousands of people were told to go to higher ground, and it said bullet train services were halted and some motorways were closed due to the tremors.

AP said the Shinkansen bullet trains connecting Tokyo and northern Japan were temporarily suspended, leaving passengers in cars and on platforms waiting for service to resume, and it also said the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said two people, one in Aomori and another in Iwate, were injured after falling Monday.

The Guardian said footage on NHK television showed hanging objects swaying and people squatting at a shopping centre in Aomori, as authorities told people to seek higher ground and stay away from coastal areas.

CBS News said Iwate and three other northern prefectures issued non-binding evacuation advisories to more than 128,000 residents, and it added that the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said officials were assessing the situation but so far no damage or injuries had been reported, including at power stations and other facilities.

NBC News also reported that several port towns including Otsuchi and Kamaishi earlier issued evacuation orders for thousands of residents, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Multiple reports focused on nuclear safety checks after the quake and tsunami alerts, with regulators and operators saying facilities were intact.

AP said the Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear power plants and related facilities in the region were intact and no abnormalities were detected, and it added that the disaster management agency said at one point more than 180,000 people in five northern prefectures from Hokkaido to Fukushima were advised to take shelter.

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CBS News similarly said the Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear power plants and related facilities in the region were all intact and no abnormalities were detected.

NBC News reported that no abnormalities were reported at the Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini and other nuclear power plants, their operator said, and it also said the U.N. nuclear watchdog had been informed by Japan of no abnormalities at nuclear facilities as of 8:16 UTC, or 4:16 a.m. ET, quoting the watchdog’s statement that “no abnormalities occurred at its nuclear facilities in the affected regions”.

CNBC said there were no abnormalities reported at idled facilities, stating that Hokkaido Electric Power and Tohoku Electric Power said there were no abnormalities reported at their idled facilities there.

Al Jazeera said Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters officials were still trying to confirm whether there had been any casualties or damage to property, while also describing the government’s crisis management team.

The Guardian said the Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear power plants and related facilities in the region were intact and no abnormalities were detected, and it also said the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the tsunami threat “has now passed.”

BBC added that Japan’s government warned of an increased risk of a “huge” earthquake in the next week after issuing tsunami warning, while also noting that nuclear power plants and related facilities were intact and no abnormalities were detected.

While the overall picture of a 7.7 quake and tsunami warnings was consistent, the reporting diverged on details such as the earthquake magnitude range, the tsunami measurements, and the scale of evacuation guidance.

“Japan warns of slightly increased risk of mega-quake after a 7”

AP News

CBS News said the U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake had a magnitude of 7.4, while earlier reports from the JMA ranged from 7.5 to 7.7, and it described the tsunami alert as being lowered from a level that had been put in place earlier for waves as high as 10 feet to an advisory.

AP News

Al Jazeera said the tsunami alert was for waves up to 3 metres (10ft) high, and it said tsunami waves as high as 80cm (2ft, 7 inches) had been detected two hours after the tremor, before the warning was downgraded.

AP said a tsunami of about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) was detected at the Kuji port within an hour and a smaller tsunami of 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) was recorded at another port, and it said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the tsunami threat “has now passed.”

NBC News said waves of up to 2½ feet were reported and that the tsunami warning was later downgraded, while also stating that no significant damage or injuries were reported.

The Guardian said the tsunami was about 80cm (2.6ft) detected at Kuji port within an hour and that the tsunami threat “has now passed,” and it also said the disaster management agency said at one point more than 170,000 people in five northern prefectures from Hokkaido to Fukushima were advised to take shelter.

AP, by contrast, said at one point more than 180,000 people in five northern prefectures from Hokkaido to Fukushima were advised to take shelter.

BBC said the biggest waves measured 80cm but that the meteorological agency warned quakes “causing even stronger shaking” could occur in the next week, producing bigger waves, and it said the tsunami warning was later downgraded to a tsunami alert before being removed entirely shortly before midnight local time.

In its closing, the Guardian said, “Given the downgrading of the tsunami alerts we will be closing this blog shortly,” reflecting that the alert posture eased after the downgrade and the “has now passed” assessment from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.